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Best Longstanding Comedy Festival

High Plains Comedy Festival

The High Plains Comedy Festival celebrated its tenth anniversary in September 2023, when more than 100 comedians from around the globe gathered to mark a decade of laughter and community. Founded by Adam Cayton-Holland, a local comedian with an impressive national profile, the festival's evolution reflects his vision of showcasing Denver's comedic talent on an international stage, achieved through a carefully curated mix of local and national acts.

highplainscomedyfestival.com

Best Comedy Show Hosts

Rach Angard and Jared McBain

Friends Rach Angard and Jared McBain are the hilarious hosts of Flea Market, a daring variety show at Forest Room 5 that breaks the mold of conventional comedy. This inventive event merges standup, theater and performance art, creating a unique space for unconventional, daring and downright weird acts. With backgrounds in improvisation and performance, Angard and McBain have cultivated an environment where artists are encouraged to explore new comedic methods, and the combination of creativity, community and unapologetic authenticity makes them the ideal hosts for a local comedy show.

instagram.com/thefleamarketshow

Best Theater for Stoners

Bowls With the Bard

Bowls With the Bard was founded by Micaela Mannix in 2017 after she'd attended similar Shakespeare-with-booze events and decided she'd rather go the Stoned Shakespeare route. The result is an experience that transforms the way audiences engage with classic literature as actors navigate the complexities of Shakespearean language while under the influence of cannabis. In both its shows — the Denver-based troupe currently performs at the Coffee Joint — and a related podcast, Bowls With the Bard works to smash stereotypes of Shakespeare being inaccessible and stoners being dumb. As Mannix points out, it's an excellent way to get lit.

bowlswiththebard.com

Best Production of a New Play

Stonewall
Benchmark Theatre

Benchmark Theatre's production of Stonewall was staged during Pride Month. The original docudrama, directed by Neil Truglio and Samwell Rose, masterfully chronicled the seminal 1969 uprising, delving into the emotional and societal undercurrents leading up to and following the event that catalyzed the LGBTQ+ rights movement. The play honors the legacy of those who fought at the Stonewall Inn while also serving as a powerful exploration of community resilience and solidarity. Through a blend of meticulous research and creative dramatization, Benchmark Theatre crafted an unforgettable experience that celebrates queer joy.

Best Ensemble Theater Performance

The Minutes
Curious Theatre Company

What makes a great ensemble is extremely subjective, but casting eleven of the area's best actors is a good way to start, as evidenced by Curious Theatre Company's production of The Minutes, by Tracy Letts. This political satire follows the absurdities of a city council meeting in the fictional town of Big Cherry, offering a comedic yet critical perspective on American democracy. It was an ambitious start to Curious's 26th season, but under the fresh leadership of Jada Suzanne Dixon, Curious upheld its legacy of tackling thought-provoking, socially relevant plays. The production, directed by Christy Montour-Larson, benefited from its cohesive and talented cast, whose sharp performances mirrored the complexities of governance and community dynamics.

Best Long-Running Theater Troupe

Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center

As Su Teatro celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and the triumphant burning of its mortgage, it firmly cemented its status as the best long-running theater troupe in town. With its roots deeply embedded in the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and '70s, Su Teatro has continually offered a powerful voice through original, homegrown productions that narrate the Chicano experience. This year's vibrant season, from El Espíritu Natural and The Miracle at Tepeyac to the recent Cuarenta y Ocho (48), showcases its commitment to bringing accessible, high-caliber theater to diverse audiences. Su Teatro also produces the Chicano Music Festival, the XicanIndie Film Fest, WordFest and the impactful teachings of the Cultural Arts Education Institute, making it a dynamic hub of cultural and artistic exploration.

Best Nomadic Theater Troupe

Phamaly Theatre Company

Who says you need a permanent theater space to make great art? The nomadic Phamaly Theatre Company had a trailblazing season last year. With productions ranging from Spring Awakening at Northglenn Arts to A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and culminating with Indescribable at the Aurora Fox Arts Center, Phamaly not only showcased its versatility across various stages, but also its unyielding commitment to disability-affirmative theater. The company's 2023 season underscored its mission to celebrate diversity within the human condition, transforming traditional narratives and audience perceptions alike.

303-365-0005
phamaly.org

Best New LGBTQ+ Theater Troupe

The Agenda Theatre

The Agenda Theatre has quickly become the city's premier LGBTQ+ theater troupe, offering groundbreaking productions that examine the queer experience. Founded by Danté J. Finley and Chloe Ryan, and sparked by the talent showcased in Benchmark Theatre's production of Stonewall, the company is dedicated to shaking up the theater scene with innovative storytelling and dynamic performances. Its mission to celebrate and explore the diverse narratives within the LGBTQ+ community through theater has already resulted in the successful staging of such unique shows as Mean Ghouls. With Rebecca Gorman O'Neill at the helm of new play development, Agenda is committed to introducing exciting new works that challenge societal norms and foster inclusivity.

instagram.com/the.agenda.theatre

Best Immersive Performance

Strange Natures
Control Group Productions

Produced by Control Group Productions, Strange Natures was a 75-minute dance party held in the historical DeLaney Homestead Historic District that married queer ecology with a candid narrative about our plastic-laden world. Directed by Caroline Sharkey and created by George Delaney and Elle Hong, the production delved into the present realities of climate change with both gravity and gaiety. Its unique format, comprising chaotic vignettes set in a transformed, bright, plastic ecosystem, pushed boundaries and invited audience interaction, making each performance a dynamic, shared experience.

controlgroupproductions.org

Best Adaptation of Napoleon's Story

The Death of Napoleon: A Play in Less Than Three Acts
Buntport Theater

Courtesy Buntport Theater Facebook page

While Ridley Scott's recent film adaptation took nearly three hours to capture Napoleon Bonaparte's epic saga, Buntport Theater managed to distill the emperor's life and downfall into a more captivating spectacle in substantially less time. The Death of Napoleon: A Play in Less Than Three Acts not only humorously explored the twilight years of one of history's most iconic figures on the small island of Saint Helena, but also looked at the broader implications of power, isolation and the human penchant for rewriting history. The ensemble's collaborative approach to storytelling and ingenious use of a compact stage space to bring Napoleon's complex persona to life made the play the year's best adaptation of his storied existence.

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